“Marita Fossum’s new and fifth novel, Bliss, is another confirmation of its author’s stylistic elegance and sensitive and carefull crafted prose … This year’s contribution shows a writer in complete control of her literary devices and succeeds in saying something significant about basic existential terms, without getting sentimental or conventional … In a brave and convincing way, Fossum deals with important experiences in many people’s lives, also in lives of apparently well-functioning and resourceful people … Fossum touches on several diffictult themes and controversial questions of life and death in this little novel. She does so with conviction and a strong belief in her own literary devices. Therefore the novel Bliss has become a both dark and uplifting book.”
Dagsavisen
“Superb depiction of darkness devoid of horror clichés … Fossum [creates] a well composed universe, which through small flickers of prose produces dark insights into existence itself. How does she do it? By inventive prose, innovation and a style of writing that never gets sentimental or nostalgic … prose and poetry in a beautiful and dark union … In this novel Fossum lets outer and inner realities pull the reader towards precarious states. Thus Bliss becomes significant literature, and her body of work comes forward as an enticing humanistic project that is well worth following.”
Dagbladet
“her writing is just as hypnotic and precise as you expect in a book by Fossum”
5/6 stars, Fædrelandsvennen
“Loneliness and cold are elegantly and beautifully handled in Marita Fossum’s new, tight novel. Marita Fossum is an exciting writer to follow, she succeeds in displaying great writing on a small number of pages … Through beautiful and aesthetically pleasing prose Fossum leads her reader fascinatedly into this cool universe.”
5/6 stars, VG
